$1 billion budgeted for schools
BOISE – Idaho’s first $1 billion-plus budget for public schools won bipartisan, unanimous support from legislative budget writers Monday – an unheard-of prospect for the biggest and usually most controversial piece of the state budget.
The big difference this year: money.
“This is rare and unique. We have money this year,” said Rep. Scott Bedke, R-Oakley. Throughout recent tight budget years, he said, lawmakers said that “if we had it, we would give it.”
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee passed four budget motions totaling $1.035 billion in general funds – three of them on 20-0 votes – and more funding is still to come. Idaho’s entire state general-fund budget is $2.2 billion.
A fifth piece of the school budget, dealing with school facilities, has yet to be set, and consideration of funding for a high school curriculum redesign was put off.
Teachers would get their first state-funded raise in five years – a 3 percent increase in base salary funding – and money was allocated for all other school employees to get the same, although local school districts make the final call on salaries. The budget also boosts beginning teacher pay from $27,500 to $30,000.
“In a way we got the best of both worlds, by being able to advance veteran teachers and making the profession look attractive to beginning teachers,” said state Superintendent of Schools Marilyn Howard.
Howard had requested the 3 percent raise, while Gov. Dirk Kempthorne had proposed the increase in starting teacher pay.
The bipartisan proposals that passed were a compromise among Bedke, Sen. Bert Marley, D-McCammon, and several others. Some of the motions were made by a Republican and seconded by a Democrat.
“I’m really pleased that both parties have come together on this and come up with a budget that really makes sense,” said Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, who serves on the finance and appropriations committee .
Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, vice chairwoman of the committee, said, “We’ve made good on our commitment. … Now that it looks like the economy’s on an upturn, we’re going to do what we can to increase spending.”
The budget approved Monday is a 4.9 percent increase over this year’s in general funds. It follows a string of tight budget years, including fiscal year 2002, when Idaho imposed its first-ever midyear budget holdback on public schools. That cut, which sliced 2.5 percent out of school funding midway through the school year, prompted protests including a march on the state Capitol by thousands of teachers from around the state.
Funding for education ranks as Idahoans’ top priority in nearly every poll on state legislative issues, including the annual Boise State University public policy survey.
“If we’re going to put a billion, this is the place to put it,” said JFAC Co-Chairwoman Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome.
The budget bills approved Monday still need votes in the full House and Senate and the governor’s signature to become law, but budget bills rarely are changed after they’re set by the joint committee.
The only point of disagreement in the committee Monday came on the bill for school operations. Bedke’s version offered just a 3 percent increase per classroom in discretionary funds, while Marley held out for 5 percent. Bedke said more maintenance money would become available to schools through upcoming school-facilities legislation; his version won on a party-line vote.
The successful budget bills include full funding for unexpected enrollment growth this year and continuing growth expected next year; a $300,000 program to link school libraries; a $200,000 expansion of the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, through which students around the state can access Advanced Placement courses online; and $750,000 to help non-English-speaking students meet standards under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.